Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scientist - NIWA

Updated: 10 months ago
Job Type: Permanent
Deadline: 21 May 2023

  • Permanent, full-time role (37.5 hours per week)
  • Based in Wellington, New Zealand
  • $85,000 - $150,000 depending on skills and experience
    • A S2/S3 position will have a salary between $85,000 to $120,000.
    • A senior S4 position will have a salary between $105,000 to $150,000.

NIWA is New Zealand's largest and pre-eminent provider of the climate, freshwater and marine science that is needed to address the challenges facing the nation. NIWA's core purpose is to enhance the economic value and sustainable management of New Zealand's aquatic resources and environments, to provide an understanding of climate and the atmosphere, and increase resilience to weather and climate hazards to improve safety and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

New Zealand has committed to reaching zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Policy to deliver this commitment - to develop effective interventions and to verify they are working - depends on scientific evidence. We are working to better quantify agricultural emissions at farm and regional scale, and carbon uptake/cycling relating to land use change and forestry.   

What we're looking for:

We seek an experienced scientist to lead NIWA's research on the quantification and attribution of greenhouse gas emissions (especially of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide) from process level to local and regional scale for a range of agricultural, industrial, and natural systems. The position will require significant quantitative measurements and modelling skills, as well as involvement in field work, The work may include interdisciplinary projects on biogeochemistry, as well as atmospheric dynamics and chemistry in their impact on greenhouse gas fluxes. The position includes the development of research strategies and proposals directed towards understanding greenhouse gas dynamics in Aotearoa New Zealand's environments, particularly agriculture.

What you will bring:

  • PhD in Physics, Chemistry, or another relevant scientific discipline
  • Expertise and experience in measuring greenhouse gases, ideally including isotope techniques for process and attribution studies
  • Experience in modelling gas production, uptake and fluxes in agricultural and natural ecosystems
  • Experience in connecting field observations to mitigation outcomes relevant to biogeochemistry, environment and climate
  • Have a high level of understanding of biogeochemical cycles of greenhouse gases
  • Scientific programming skills, with languages such as Python, R or Matlab
  • Experience in proposing, planning, delivering and documenting research
  • Proven ability to clearly impart information verbally and in written form to specialist and non-specialist audiences
  • Ability to build and lead multi-disciplinary teams
  • Ability to manage research and consulting projects

This is a mid to senior level position and the salary will be based on the applicants skillset and experience.

A S2/S3 position will have a salary between $85,000 to $120,000.

A senior S4 position will have a salary between $105,000 to $150,000.

Interested?

We don't expect perfection in our candidates - if you think you have what it takes, but don't meet every point referenced in the position description, please still get in touch!

NIWA offers flexible working options (e.g., part-time, flexible start and finish times). We are happy to discuss potential flexible options for this position at the interview stage.

NIWA promotes the importance and value of an inclusive and diverse workforce, including the Rainbow Community, and takes pride on being a family-friendly and supportive workplace. Providing a safe working environment for our people is paramount to us.



Similar Positions